Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-20
MONSTERS LOOSE.
SINGULAR BUT FEARFUL Runaway
OF TWO ENGINES IN PHILADELPHIA.
No. 393 Run Into by q shiftsr Dashss
Wildly off and stampedss No.
100 Engineers Dangerously
Wounded.
Dy telegraph 70 the DIspatch.l

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, August 1.-Two
big passenger engines ran away within
the yard of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company last night, and two engineers
received probably fatal injuries. The
locomotives were totally destroyed.
Locomotive 500, Morris Thomson en-
gineer, was standing beside the signal
tower on the tricks above Seventeenth
street awaiting the signal to back into
the PTOad-street station, where he
couples to a passenger train for Har-
risburg and the West. As the engi-
nccr sat in bis cab with his back to the
station. he suddenly heard the heavy
roll of wheels on the track behind him.
As quick rs a fash he turned, bat it was
too late.
THE CRASH HAD CONE.
A heavy shifting engine, No. 1S),
Joseph Murray engineer, while run
ming out Of the station, had taken the
wrong track. The shilter collided with
No 1913 with terrible effect. Engineer
Thomson was caught in the crash, and
after being manqled about the head
was thrown out Of the cab and lay in
sensible alongside the track A pass
ing tram struck him and almost cut his
right arm off at the shoulder. When he
was picked up his bowels were pro.
truding and his head was frightfully
battered. Fireman Blakemore was also
thrown off the engine, but escaped
with only slight bruises. When the
shiiter crashed into No. 1913 the latter's
throttle was thrown wide open, and the
engine started out on the road at the
rate OF
A MILE A MINUTE.
Having no one on board to control it
the wild engine flew westward through
the yard toward West Philadelphia.
When No. 1913 reached the Philldel-
phia, Wilmington and Baltimore rail
road crossing, one mile distant, near
Thirticth street. on the elevated track,
it collided with Engine No. 100, which
Iuns to Westminster. The engineer,
Joseph Kelley, was alone waiting to
back down to Broad street for his train.
The force Of the collision threw Kelley
out on the ground and then Engine No.
100 bounded up the track Gts throttle
having been thrown open ALSO with
Engine No. 1913 crowding behind it.
Fortunately the two engines ran
through a switch which threw them on
short side track.
THEIR FURIOUS LEAP.
This track was only 100 yards in
length, and ended upon an embark
mont about thirty feet in height. No.
lC0 wet bounding down the embank-
mont and buried Itself IN the dirt. The
second cDeiuc came along at the SANE
Wild speed, and il too went crashing
down the bank, tumbliDg over the other
iron monster. The two engines Were
lady wrecked, and had they not taken
he SIDE track would have rrT wildly
ahead On the main track and caused,
rclhaps, n terrible catastrophe, a.
nothing could have stopped them until
they Collided with another train on
theIr steaIu ran ont. When Engineer
Kelley was found he had deep cash
on the right side of the head and All
ether over his right eye, and big
bruise over the right temple. Ho could
rot stand, and was suffering from the
shock. Both men were removed to
the hospital, where physicians pro
nounced their condition dangerous.